(Image Source: davidsonscott15 / Flickr)
BY KERRY LEARY
ANCHOR ERICA COGHILL
You’re watching multi-perspective news analysis from Newsy.
It’s always smart to have a designated driver after a night of drinking. Well, one Michigan man followed that part just fine. But generally, your DD should be able to legally DRIVE. Detroit Free Press has more.
“A red van pulls into a gas station during the early morning hours of October 8. The driver, having trouble lining up to the pump, sticks her head out for a better look. After a little maneuvering, the van is finally put into park. Behind the wheel that whole time sitting on a booster seat? A nine-year-old girl. Her father, 39-year-old Shawn Weimer, in the passenger seat according to police.”
Well, she was only seven years away from being able to legally take the wheel. At 3 AM, the girl drove her Dad to a gas station. He went in, bought himself what he needed- and a caramel apple for his driver -- and hit the road. WXYZ has his chat with the clerk on duty.
“I got a designated driver and she’s such a good driver. She’s nine years old.”
After the pair left, a witness called 9-1-1. The truck was pulled over and, according to an interview with WJJ, the little girl was a bit offended.
“Ironically enough, she asked the uniformed officer at the scene, ’Why did you stop me? I’m driving pretty good! So, the police officer then had to explain to her that she didn’t have any right to be driving at 9 years old.”
Apparently, driving pretty well when you’re nine doesn’t cut it -- even when the Dad’s excuse is that he was teaching his daughter how to drive. A Canadian blogger from Sympatico has some advice for the Dad.
“Installing the child booster seat in the driver's chair while still sober is a good idea...It's also probably smart to give her a few lessons in your [Starsky] and Hutch-painted GMC Safari panel van before you have those half-dozen beers under your belt.”
No one was hurt in the joyride, and the van didn’t have any damage. A blogger for The Stir says Weimer earned a tip of the cap and a wag of the finger all in one moment.
“It's odd that these drunk dads are coherent enough to realize that they shouldn't drive under the influence, but incoherent enough to think that letting their elementary-aged kids do the job is a good idea … Rule of thumb: The driver's seat is no place for a booster seat.”
According to ABC News, the father was charged with second and fourth degree child abuse for the incident. The daughter is now in the custody of her mother.
Transcript by Newsy.
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